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349470 
Journal Article 
Impacts of a Solid Waste Disposal Site on Soil, Surface Water and Groundwater Quality in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania 
Kassenga, GR; Mbuligwe, SE 
2009 
10 
English 
Solid waste disposal sites are potentially serious sources of pollution to the environment, especially when located very close to water sources and operated haphazardly. The high pollution potential of these sites is due to the fact that they usually contain almost all types of pollutants from the source community. The contaminants can leach out through the soil, contaminating the soil itself, ground water, and surface water. In the study reported here, environmental pollution impacts of a solid waste disposal site were investigated. Wet and dry seasons samples of soil, river sediments, groundwater, and surface water from sites suspected to be affected by the dumpsite were analysed for chemical, physical, and bacteriological parameters, including heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Cr, and Zn, and nutrients (N and P). The dumpsite was found to be a significant (p<0.05) source of pollution to soil, groundwater, surface water and riverbed sediments in its neighbourhood. Concentrations of, among others, Pb and Cd in groundwater were as high as 15 and 35 mg/L, respectively. Seasons were also found to be an important factor in the occurrence and magnitude of pollution, and pollution was found to occur mostly through migration ofleachate. This reasserts the notion that proper design, construction, and operation of dumpsites to reduce infiltration of rainwater and contain leachate can curtail pollution considerably. 
Article Subject Terms: Cadmium; Chromium; Groundwater; Groundwater; Pollution; Groundwater pollution; Infiltration; Leachates; Leaching; Lead; Pollutants; Rain; Sediment Contamination; Sediment pollution; Sediments; Soil; Solid Waste Disposal; Solid waste disposal; Surface; water; Surface-groundwater Relations; Urban areas; Zinc; dry season; heavy metals; nutrients; Article Geographic Terms: Tanzania; Tanzania,; Dar es Salaam; M3 1010 Issues in Sustainable Development; SW 3050 Ultimate disposal; of wastes; AQ 00002 Water Quality